The present invention relates to fishing lures of the spinner bait type which include a body and hook portion resembling a small fish or animal and one or more spinner blades for attracting fish, and more particularly, it relates to the means for connecting such a lure to a fishing line.
Fishing lures of the type described generally comprise two diverging wire arm members for respectively connecting the body and the spinner blade to the fishing line. Generally, the two arms are formed by bending a wire at an angle of approximately 90.degree.. In the past, the fishing line was connected to a wire eyelet located at the intersection of the two arms, i.e., the bend in the wire. Such a lure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,688, issued to Hardwicke, III on Dec. 14, 1976.
In the past, the eyelet has been formed by one of two well-known methods. The wire can be bent a full 360.degree. to form a loop therein and then bent an additional 90.degree. to form the diverging arms. Alternatively, the wire is bent and a nipple is formed in the wire at the bend. Subsequently, the nipple is then twisted relative to the arms to close off the nipple and form the eyelet.
Spinner baits of this type are commonly used in waters which are congested with surface and underwater obstacles such as log jams, protruding trees, brush tops, grass beds, etc. It is quite common for the lure to strike one or more of these obstacles after being cast and before coming to rest. This causes the lure to be deflected and rotate generally about one of two axes; parallel to the attached line, or perpendicular to the attached line.
In a first type of movement, the lure rotates about an axis substantially coaxial with the fishing line. This causes a torsional twist in the line which can weaken the line and affect the subsequent movement of the lure through the water. This problem is generally alleviated by utilization of a swivel type of connector located between the line and the lure.
Of far more consequence, however, is rotation of the lure about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the fishing line. When the lure makes one or more rotations of this type and the line is subsequently pulled taut to retrieve the lure, the line is pinched between adjacent portions of wire which have been twisted to form the eyelet. If a fish should then strike the lure and force is applied to set the hook, the line will be severed at the point where it is pinched, or at least severely damaged and weakened. The fish and lure will consequently be lost at this point or during a subsequent cast.
One proposed solution to this problem is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,804, issued to Woolums on Dec. 18, 1970. In this patent, a nipple which is open towards the rear of the lure is used as the device for connecting the lure to the line. The nipple permits the line attached thereto to rotate freely with respect to the lure without pinching the line between adjacent twisted portions of wire.
The open nipple design presents other problems, however. Since the nipple is open at the rear, the snap swivel type of connector commonly used to prevent line twist cannot be employed: the connector would be free to slide along the entire length of the wire, i.e., along either arm, and would not retain the fishing line substantially coaxial with the center line of the lure permitting imbalances to occur. This can result in the lure being dragged through the water in a position which inhibits the desired motion of the lure, and hence negates its effectiveness.
As a result, the fishing line must be directly tied to the nipple with some degree of precision. The knot must be tight enough to prevent the line from sliding along the wire and yet loose enough to permit 360.degree. rotation around the wire. In any event, the rotation of the line around the wire will wear the line and weaken it after a period of time. Furthermore, any scratches, nicks or other roughness on the nipple will act as a cutting surface which will damage the line as it rotates.
In addition, direct connection of the line to the lure limits the motion of the lure essential to enticing the fish. In the types of situations in which spinner baits are normally used, a relatively heavy line, e.g., 17-25 pound test, is employed. Such line has a relatively small amount of flexibility due to its diameter. Hence, when the line is directly tied to the lure rather than by means of a swivel or other freely moveable connector, the oscillatory motion of the lure is dampened.
As a further proposed solution, spacer beads are placed on the wire on either side of the connection of the fishing line to the lure. The wire is then bent to form an open nipple which includes the beads, and if the bends in the wire are substantial enough, the beads are prevented from sliding along the arms of the lure.
Such a design does not prevent the fishing line from sliding along the axis of rotation within the confines of the nipple, however. When the fishing line is free to move like this, the point of connection of the fishing line does not continue to define a line which passes through the center of mass of the lure. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic forces on either side of the fishing line are not maintained equal, causing the lure to be pulled through the water in an unbalanced state and not remain as as effective for attracting the fish.